The Beowulf story has endured numerous retellings in the modern era, through both complex interpretations for adults and illustrated books for children. Until independent director Sturla Gunnarsson took on a project to direct a film adaptation in Iceland, no serious film treatment of the material had graced the screen. The Seattle International Film Festival played host to both Gunnarsson and his film, Beowulf & Grundel, to packed crowds leading up to the official theatrical release on June 16, 2006. While Gunnarsson's interpretation of Beowulf veers from the most widely known translation, including characters with Shakespearean moral conflict, a monster, a Christian missionary and a pagan witch, it creates what I consider a better story, with characters you come to care about rather than the dry regaling of a hero's deeds. I spoke with Sturla Gunnarsson immediately following the Saturday night SIFF screening and he offered some excellent background on the film and how the story evolved from epic poem to the version shown on the screen.